This letter is a response to Murray Brand’s letter: “Opinion column on Israel was factually untrue” (Dec. 11).

During the 1967 war between Israel and the Arab countries and more specifically Jordan, the West Bank was annexed by Jordan. As a result Israel did not want to absorb the West Bank as part of Israeli territory and therefore Israel does not legally own the West Bank. Israeli settlers proceed to illegally establish farms, houses, apartments and shoddy shacks and harass Palestinian residents of the West Bank. Even the Israeli Court stated that Israeli settlers are illegal and unjustified. There’s your truth.

Not only that, but Israeli settlers often instigate the Palestinians while Israeli soldiers do nothing to halt the situations. You can check the hard evidences on YouTube videos of what the illegal Israeli settlers are capable of. The situation with Israel is no longer about what happened in the past, this is about human rights and the violation of human rights. Hamas is no better, either, when they decide to fire rockets into civilian cities.

I do recognize Israel’s right to exist, but I also recognize Palestinians’ human rights as well. Israel has a long way to go to the road of total democracy.